Hand implement for making hooked fabrics



April- 2 1', 1953 E. P; oRAkE HAND IMPLEMENT FOR MAKING HOOKED FABRICS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 195p [KW 9 Zz 2 A ril 21, 1953 E. P. DRAKE 2,635,567

HAND IMPLEMENT FOR MAKING HOOKED FABRICS Filed Feb. 10, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 zlwvewvbo'b April 21, 1953 v E. P, DRAKE HAND IMPLEMENT FOR MAKING HOOKED FABRICS z Sheets- Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 1 0. 1950 Patented Apr. 21, 1953 HAND IMPLEMENT FOR MAKING HOOKED FABRICS- Edward P. Drake, Glendale, Calif., assignor to Zila Manufacturing Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 10, 1950, Serial No. 143,401

4 Claims.

This invention relates generally to hand perated mechanical devices or implements for making hooked fabrics for use as rugs, wall hangings, furniture covers and'the like.

Hooked fabrics are usually made laboriously by hand using an awl or a small hollow feed needle having a hole near its point through which yarn is threaded and with which a series of bights are stitched in a piece of burlap or similar cloth stretched tautly on a suitable frame. The cloth has a pattern traced thereon which is filled in with suitably colored yarn, then the bights are cut and the result is a piled fabric having a colored design.

Heretofore numerous attempts have been made to provide hand crank operated mechanical means to facilitate the yarn stitching operation. These devices however were not successful because, for one thing, they were very unhandy since the hollow feed needle was fixed so that stitching of the bights could be done only in one direction. This necessitated either walking around the frame carrying the cloth or operating the crank with the opposite hand to obtain stitching in the reverse direction when such a course was indicated in following a pattern. Furthermore, the mechanical components of these devices were not properly designed'and consequently were very unreliable in operation, Rec'entlysome attempts have been made to manufacture and market a device having a reversible hollow feed needle and a bight forming or looper needle arranged to reciprocate within said hollow-feed needle. This reversible feed needle was arranged so that the stitching of the bights could be done forward and backward by means of reversing the rotation of the crank. This permitted intricate pattern designs to be filled in without changing body position and therefore the work could be done sitting down.

However, this device was also unsuccessful because its mechanical components were designed so that'it was very difficult to manufacture and consequently the cost of the device was too high for the average person to use as a hobby. Furthermore, the few units which have been sold were soon discarded because certain elements of the mechanism would break down-So frequently that seldom a piece of work could be finished without repairing said device. Thiswas particularly the case with the looper-needle which would bend under the slightest prevocation and thereby rendering the device useless until said looper needle was straightened or replaced.

Therefore, this invention relates particularlyto the type of implement having a reversible hollow feed needle and a looper needle arranged .to reciprocate within said hollow feed needle; and this invention has for its main object the provision of a hand implement for making hooked fabrics which is easy and simple to manipulate; and having stitching, bight forming and reversing mechanisms which are foolproof and reliablein operation, durable for long trouble free service and extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object is the provision of a novel hollow feed needle reversing mechanism which is more reliable in operation and simpler in con,- struction than that in the heretofore proposed device. V

A further object is the provision of a novel looper needle reciprocating mechanism designed to prevent bending of said looper needle under the severest usage conditions.

Another object is to provide an implement in which the parts are arranged so that a minimum number of screws are necessary for assembly thus eliminating tapping operations in the manufacture of the parts and the handling of screwsin assembly.

A still further object is the provision of an eccentric means for actuating the feed needle and a crank means of actuating the looperzneedle arranged so that the throw of the crank means lags the throw of the eccentric by an angleof approximately 45 degrees instead of the customary degrees so that the looper needle starts the bight earlier after penetration of the feed needle in order to fully retract the looper needle within said feed needle before the feed needle is completely withdrawn from the cloth.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the combination, correlation and construction of parts, members and features which will be described in the specification and will be finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings: I Figure 1 is the needle side elevation of an implement for making hooked fabrics embodying my invention. I

Figure 2 is the crank side elevation of the implement.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation similar to Figure 1 with certain elements partially broken away to illustrate the reversing mechanism in the forward stitching. position. 1

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevation of the implement 'illustratingthe hollow feed needle starting a. stitch in the forward direction.

-ative rotation about the hub I I. .gear assembly 8 is rotatably supported on a shoulder screw 16 threaded into the frame I as shown at H.

Figure 5 is similar to Figure 4 showing the hollow feed needle nearing the maximum penetration and the looper needle starting the bight.

Figure 6 is similar to Figures 4 and 5 showing the maximum penetration of the looper needle completing the bight.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic representation of the path followed by the point of the hollow feed needle in making the stitches.

Figure 8 is an enlarged section through a portion of the operating mechanism taken on line 8-8 in Figure 3.

Figure 9 is an enlarged section through another portion of the operating mechanism taken on line 9-9 in Figure 3.

Figure 10 is an enlarged vertical section'taken substantially on line -40 in Figure 1 with the crank turned approximately 130 degrees.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary elevation similar to Figure 4 showing the feed needle starting a 'stitch in the reverse direction.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevation similar to Figure Swith certain elements partially broken away to illustrate the reversing mechanism in the reverse or backward stitching position.

Figure 13 is a section on line l3-I3 in Figure lzshowing in detail the retaining means for the free end of the reversing spring.

Figure 14 is a bottom view of the presser foot as indicated by the line l4! 4 in Figure 1.

Construction.The implement shown in the drawings includes a frame I formed from a flat her having at its upper end an offset 2 terminating in an upwardly extending tenon 3 which is pressed into a suitable rectangular slot 4 in a handle 5. The offset 2 is arranged so that the vertical center line of the handle 5 is aligned with the needle to facilitate manipulation in following a pattern to be filled in. The lower end of the frame I is formed to provide an arcuate presser foot 6 having an elongated slot therein as shown :in Figure 14.

An operating crank and gear assembly 8 ispro- 'vided to actuate the implement. Said crank and gear assembly includes a crank arm 9 and a gear II] which are riveted together by means of a shouldered hub II and the crank arm 9 is provided with a conventional crank handle 12, as illustrated in Figure 10. By means of a semi-perforation 13 in the gear 10, atenon I4 is provided which fits snugly into a hole 15 in crank arm 9 to locksaid crank arm 9 and gear in against rel- The crank and Gear I0 meshes with a gear 18 which drives the The flange 20 on a shaft 2|. Saidflange 20 also serves to-space thegear I8 from frame I. The

.shaft 2! is provided with a bearingportion 22 through which it is pivotally supported in a hole 23 in the frame I. The shaft 2| also has a reduced portion 24 which is knurled and pressed into a hole 25 located off center in a disc 26 so 'that upon turning of shaft 2! the disc rotates eccentrically. At the end of shaft 2| a further =-reduced portion is provided to form a stud 21,

the function of which will be described hereinafter.

The disc 26 supports the entire operating mechanism of the implement, which includes astitching, a bight forming and a reversing means, and to that end, said disc is provided with an annular flange 28 and a portion 29 reduced in diameter below that of said flange to provide a shoulder 30.

The stitching means is supported on the reduced portion 29 of disc 25 which pivotally engages a hole 3! at the upper end of a carrier member 32 comprising a part of said'stitching means. Said carrier member 32 is retained on the portion 29 of disc 26 by the shoulder 33 and a crank member 33 which is pivotally fastened to the outer surface of disc 26 by means of a shoulder screw 34 threaded concentrically in said disc '26.

The carrier member 32 extends downwardly and near its lower end has a flanged stud 35 riveted thereto as shown at 36. The stud 35 is provided with a head 3'1 and a flange 33 with a portion 39 of reduced diameter therebetween which is adapted to slidably engage the parallel sides of a vertical keyhole slot 43 in the frame I. The flange 38 on the stud 35 istapered as shown at 4| and the keyhole slot 43 is providedat the top thereof with an aperture 42 of largerdiameter than the head 31 of said stud to facilitate assembly.

The lower end of the carrier member 32 isbent outwardly to form a lug 43 having a hole 44 therein and just above the stud 35 is another outwardly extending lug 45 shear formed out'of the material taken out to provide a rectangular slot 46 above said lug 45. The lug-45 is also provided with a hole 41 which isaligned with the hole=44-in the lug 43 below. A tubular or hollow feed needle 48 is slidably supported in the holes 44and'41 in lugs 43 and 45 respectivelyand a'sleeve member 49 is pressed on the upper end of the feed needle 48. The sleeve 49 is arranged so :that it :is parits upper end an irregularly shaped aperture or slot 53 as shown in Figures 3 and 12.

The upper portion of the slot 53 is adapted to slidably engage the periphery of the flange -28-on the disc 26. A spur or tooth 54 extends inwardly into slot 53 from the right side of the slide member 52, as viewed in Figures 3 and 12,andthistooth 54 is adapted to engage or ride the periphery-of flange 28. A wire spring 55 is provided to yieldably keep the tooth 54 in engagement with the periphery of said flange 28.

Said spring -55 is attached at one end to the left side of the slide member 52, as shown at 53 in Figures 3,3, 10 and 12, so that it projects laterally into the slot 53 and at its free end slidably engages an elongated slot 5'! provided byshear forming a flattened-loop 58 from the carrier member 32, as showncin Figures 8 and 13.

The reversing slide member 52 is m'ountedfor vertically slidable motion longitudinally parallel to the carrier member 32 and the longitudinal alignment thereof is preserved by means of a semi-perforation 59 insaidcarrier member 32 forming a tenon-'33 which slidably engages asl'ot 6| in said reversing slide member 52, as shown in Figures 3, 9 and 12. Thus the slide member -52 is slidably supported .on .theperiphery of the flange 28 and the tenon K60.

- Flange 28 of the disc 26 is provided with a notch 62 positioned at a 90 degree angle to the right of shaftZl on which said disc is supported, as shown in'Figures 3 and 12. Saidnotch 62 engages the tooth 54 on the slide member 52 to produce the rever'singaction which will be described subsequently.

The bight forming means comprises a looper needle 63 made of round wire and slidably supported in the hollow feed needle 48. At the lower end, the looper needle 48 is flattened as shown at 64 to effect a rectangular cross section and thereby provide space between the flattened sides of said looper needle and the-inside wall surface of the hollow feed needle 48 for the yarn. .The point .of the looper needle 63 is provided-with an arcuate notch' 85, as shown in Figure 10, to retain the .yarn on the point while making the bight. The upper end of the looper needle 63 is formed into ,an offset hook 66 substantially rectangular in shape and having at the free end thereof a straight portion 61 formed at right angle with respect to the body of the needle '63. Said straight portion 61 extends inwardly through a hole 63 in a connecting link 69 and into a vertical guide slot in the carrier member 32. The upper end of the connecting link 69 is pivotally secured to the crank member 33 by means of a shoulder screw 1| threaded into one of a plurality of tapped holes 12 which extend radially in steps or increments from the pivot center of said crank member 33 at the shoulder screw 34. These holes 12 control the length of the loop or bight since by changing the position of the shoulder screw H the stroke of the connecting link 69 may be varied and thereby changing the depth of looper needle penetration. b

Although any number of holes at various increments may be used, I prefer to use three tapped holes 12 as shown in the drawings. The outer hole imparts the longest penetration to the looper .needle 63 and consequently provides the longest vbight, which for example, is normally used for .flower designs, thenexthole providing a shorter bight may be used for leaf and stem designsv and the last innermost hole effecting the shortest bight may be used for the background. I The lower end of connecting link 69 is provided .with an inwardly formed projection 13 which rides along the outer face of carrier member 32 .to prevent inward swinging of said connecting link to the extent of the pivotal clearance about the shoulder screw particularlyat that por- .tion of the stroke where said connecting link 68 is out of contact with the face of the crank mem- ,ber 33,- and the vertical portion of the hook 86 on looper needle 63 is arranged to prevent said link from swinging outwardly thereby insuring a free and bindless pivotal action between the hole 68 of said link and the hook portion 61 of said looper needle.

Crank member 33 is provided with a slot 14 which is arcuate concentrically about the pivot center of said crank member 33 on the screw 34. Said slot 14 is positioned diametrically opposite the tapped holes 12 and its eifective length extends through an angle of approximately 90 degrees. The slot 14 is adapted to engage the stud shownat 15 to provide a point and opposite the bevel 15 the wall of the needle is cut out to provide an elongated slot 16 to receive yarn. Opcratz'om..--.Yarn TI is threaded through the *slo'tlB and out through the hole at the bottom of the feed needle 48 just back of the point. When it is desired to stitch the bights in the forward direction, the implement is placed so that the presser foot 6 rests on the cloth, indicated at 18, and the crank 2 is turned in the direction of the arrow as illustrated in Figure 4 where said implement is shown starting a bight.

The turning of the crank |2 imparts,'through the gears l8 and I8, clockwise'rotation to the shaft 2| which in turn rotates the disc 26 eccentrically. The carrier member 32, by virtue of being supported at the top on the portion 29 of disc 26 and guided near the bottom by means of the stud 35 and slot 40 in the frame I, receives an oscillatory reciprocating motion which causes the point of the feed needle 48, carried by said member 32, to travel in substantially the path illustrated diagrammatically in Figure 7 where it will be seen that the point penetrates the cloth '|8 in substantially a straight line, is withdrawn along the same line then takes a step forward above the cloth to reenter said cloth at a spaced increment forward of the last penetration. Thus through continued actuation, evenly spaced stitching in the forward direction as indicated by arrow 19 is produced.

The length of the stitch or spacing between penetrations is controlled by tilting the implement rearward to the line of travel on the arcuate presser foot 6. In Figure 4, the implement. is shown tilted approximately 5 degrees from vertical toobtain the illustrated spacing of bights 88. By tilting the implement to a lesser or greater degree, shorter or longer stitching or spacing of bights may be obtained.

Reciprocating motion is imparted to the bight forming looper needle 63 by means of the connecting link '69and the crank member 33 which rotates about the shaft 2| with the eccentric disc 26. The throw of the crank member 33 is offset approximately 45 degrees with respect to the throw of the eccentric disc 28 through the arrangement of the arcuate slot 14 with respect to the projection 21 at the end of shaft 2| so that the throw of said disc precedes the throw of said crank member by approximately 45 degrees. The shortest throw of the'crank member 33 is of greater amplitude than the throw of eccentric disc 26.

Through this arrangement of throws, the feed needle 48 penetrates the cloth first as shown in Figure 5 where the carrier member 32 with said feed needle 48 is near the bottom of the stroke with the looper needle 63 just starting a bight. Upon subsequent quarter turn of crank member 33, the looper needle is at the bottom of its stroke forming the bight as shown in Figure 6. 'By the same token, the looper needle 63 will be fully retracted into the hollow feed needle 48 upon withdrawal of said feed needle from the cloth.

Thus the looper needle 63 is above and out of contactwith the yarn in all positions of the feed needle 48 above the cloth and comes in contact with said yarn only upon penetration of said feed needle.

An important feature of this invention is the arrangement of the parts to effect the guiding -of the upper end of the looper needle 63 by the slot 10 in the carrier member 32 which prevents forces'eifected by the pressure'angle of the connecting link 69 from bending the unsupported portion of said looper needle above the spiral sleeve 49. x

The reversing mechanism includingthe slide member 52 is arranged to reciprocate, in either ofits setpositions, with the feed needle carrier member 32 by virtue ofbeing supported on the flange 28 of the. eccentric disc.26.

In Figure 3 the reversing mechanism parts are shownin the position for maintaining the feed needle 48' pointing in the direction of forward travel while the crank 12 is being turned in the anticlockwise direction indicated by the arrow. Thisis accomplished by the spring 55 urging the slide member 52 upward so that the tooth '54 on said slide member rides the. periphery of the flange 2-8 at a. point below'the. center of the disc 25.

When it is desired to reverse the direction of travel, the. tilt of. the implement is reversed and the crank [2 turned in the opposite or clockwise direction as illustrated in Figure 11. The clockwise. movement of the crank 12 reverses the rotation of disc 26 to the'anticlookwise direction causing the notch :62 in. the flange 8 to pick up the tooth 54 and move the slide 52 up, as illustrated in Figure 12, so that tooth at, under downward pressure of spring 55, rides the periphery of the flange 28' at a point above the. center of disc .26; The. upward. movement of the slide member '52, through the engagement of stud with the spiral groove 59 in sleeve 49, causes the feed needle 48 to turn approximately 18.0 degrees so that it. points in the direction of opposite or backwardtravel of the implementas indicated by the arrow '81 inFigure 11. It is obvious. that upon changing the rotation of crank IE to the anticlockwise direction, the feed needle 43, through the reverse. action. of the mechanism described above will again point forward.

It takes. approximately 90 degrees of rotation of the eccentric disc to effect the reversing movement and through the arrangement of the notch 62 in disc 26 in relation to the shaft 25 and the tooth 54 on slide 52, the reversal of the feed needle 48 takes place at the top of the eccentric throw while said. feed needle is positioned above the cloth 18, that is, before a. stitch is started in either direction and while the looper needle 63 is. out of contact with the yarn.

Since, as has been. pointed out above, it takes a quarterturn. of the eccentric disc 26. to effect a reversal of the feed needle 48, the arcuate slot 14 in the crank member 33 extends through the angleof 90 degrees toprovide lost motion sothat thethrow of said crank member 33 lags the throw of the eccentric disc 26 approximately degrees in. the. opposite direction toprovide the same operating relation of the feed needle 48 to that of the looper needle 53 for stitching, in the backward direction as described hereinbefore for stitching in the forward direction.

Figure 6 illustrates how the stud end 21 of shaft 2| engages the right end of the arcuate slot 14 in the crank member 33 to provide the required lag between the feed needle and looper needle action for stitching in the forward directionand Figure 11 illustrates the stud 21 en,- gaging the opposite end of the. arcuate slot 14 to provide the lag for stitching in the reverse direction,

From the accompanying drawings, the foregoing description and the specifications, the advantages and economies in the manufacture of the parts, and in the handling of said parts in construction of the implement; and in the combinationof the. novel features for increasing the ease of operation, the durability and reliability ofthelimplement-will be apparentto those skilled assess:

8, inthe art; but. it will bev understood; that'any modification, within the scope of the invention may be made in the combination and construction of parts and in the application without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A hand implement for making hooked fabrics. including a frame, an eccentric having a flange thereon mounted on said frame, a hand crank. means on said frame for imparting rota.- tion tosaid eccentric, a crank element secured to said eccentric for rotation therewith, a carrier member guided on said frame and supported on said eccentric whereby an oscillatory reciprocating motion is imparted to said carrier, a tubular feed needle rotatably mounted on said carrier, a sleeve on said feed needle arranged to retain said feed needle on the carrier, said sleeve. having a spiral slot therein, a looper needle slidably supportedwithin said tubular feed needle, a connect-.- ing link associatedwith the looper needle and the crank element for imparting reciprocating mo tion to said looper needle in and out of said feed needle, guide means on said looper needle asso tciated with a slot in said carrier to support said looper needle against pressure angle forces of said connecting link, a slide member guided on the flange of said eccentric and on said carrier for longitudinal motion with respect to said carrier, a stud on said slide member operatively associated with the spiral slot to impart half turn rotation to the feed needle upon longitudinal "movement of the slide member, said flange having a notch on the periphery thereof for engagng a tooth on the slide member to impart sliding motion to said slide member upon reversing the rotation of the hand crank and thereby re versing the position of the tubular feed needle.

2. An implement for making hooked fabrics including a frame, an eccentric mounted on said frame, a hand crank means on said frame for imparting rotation to said eccentric, a crank element secured to said eccentric for rotation therewith, a carrier guided on said frame and supported on said eccentric whereby an oscillatory reciprocating motion isimparted to said carrier, a hollow feed needle rotatably mounted on said carrier, a sleeve on said feed needle, said sleeve having a spiral slot therein, a looper needle slid- .ably supportd within said hollow feed needle, a

connecting link associated with the looper needle and the crank element for imparting reciprocating motion to said looper needle in and out of said feed needle, guide means on said looperneedle associated with said carrier to support said looper needle against pressure angle forces of said connecting link, a slide member guided on said eccentric and operatively associated with said spiral slot to impart half turn rotation to said feed: needle, means on said eccentric cooperating with means on said slide member to impart motion to said slide member upon reversing the rotation of the hand crank and thereby reversing the poshtion of the feed need-1e, the throws of said eccentric and said crank element being arranged with respect to the reversing means for the feed needle so that the reversal of the feed needle takes place while both the looper and the feed needles are in the retracted position.

3. An implement for making hooked fabrics including a frame, a carrier member guided on said frame, a hollow feed needle pivotall'y supported in said carrier member and arranged to point in the direction of the stitching, an eccentricmounted on said frame and associated with said carrier member to effect stitching of said feed needle incloth, hand crank means for imparting rotation to said eccentric, a slide member uided on said eccentric and said carrier member for longitudinal sliding movement with respect to said carrier member, spiral means on said feed needle, connecting means on said slide member operatively engaging said spiral means to produce half turn rotation of said feed needle upon longitudinal movement of said slide member, said slidemember having a tooth arranged to ride the periphery of said eccentric at either side of the guiding point tangency between said slide member and said eccentric, a spring between said slide member and said carrier member to yieldably urge said tooth against the periphery of said eccentric at either side of said guiding point tangency, said eccentric having a notch on its periphery arranged to engage said tooth upon reversing the direction of rotation of said eccentric to move said slide until the tooth emerges from the notch to ride the periphery of the eccentric at the opposite side of the guiding point tangency and thereby reversing the feed needle a half turn to point in the opposite direction, said notch being arranged with respect to the throw of the eccentric so that the reversal of the feed needle takes place during that portion of the stitching operation while said feed needle is above the cloth.

4. An implement for making hooked fabrics including a frame, a carrier member guided on said frame, a hollow feed needle pivotally supported on said carrier member, an eccentric mounted on said frame and associated with said carrier member to effect stitching of said feed needle in cloth, hand crank means on said frame for imparting rotation to said eccentric, aslide member associated with said carrier member and said eccentric for l-ongtudinal sliding movement with respect to said carrier member, spiral means on said feed needle, operative connection between said slide member and said spiral means to produce half turn rotation of the feed needle upon movement of said slide member, a tooth on said slide member adapted to yieldably ride the periphery of said eccentric, said eccentric having a notch on its periphery arranged to engage said tooth upon reverse rotation of said eccentric for imparting movement to said slide member thereby rotating said feed needle the half turn.

EDWARD P. DRAKE.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 853,635 France Dec. '7, 1939 

